Calibration and Profiles

To maintain consistent color between your computer's peripherals, it is essential that you create a profile for each device. Because every device has its own color space, each device is characterized by a unique color profile. The CMM uses these profiles to translate between all the color spaces used throughout your workflow—from the working space you use when importing from digital cameras and scanners, to the one used when editing, to the output you see in monitors and printers.

If you are working without profiles, there is no consistency between your input and output devices, and color will almost certainly be off. In this case, color "corrections" that you make may be a waste of time because what you see on the screen is not representative of what will be printed, for example.

In this section you will learn to calibrate your monitor and thus generate its color profile. You will also decide how you will work with your printers and change profile settings specific to your printer drivers.